The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for performing conversion of data and for load balancing between machines in a computer network.
A computerized reservation system (CRS) traditionally has provided a communications network for travel agents or other persons to book airline reservations. Other companies may interface their computer systems with a CRS in order to make information concerning their services available via the CRS. For example, a hotel company may interface its reservation system with a CRS so that when a person books an airline reservation, he or she may also make a hotel reservation through the same network.
CRS""s typically use a complex protocol for identifying and transferring data. Other companies desiring to interface their computer systems with a CRS, therefore, may find it difficult or expensive to modify their computer systems to accommodate the complex protocol of a CRS. This situation may discourage other companies from interfacing their computer systems with a CRS, which limits the available information via that network.
In addition, customers interfacing their computer systems with a CRS are typically routed through servers (or other machines) interfacing with the CRS. Generally, different servers are assigned to particular customers and service only those customers, each customer being typically routed through only one server. Therefore, if that server becomes nonfunctional, service to the customer is unavailable until the server can be brought back into operation or back on-line.
Accordingly, a need exists for data conversion and for load balancing access to a CRS or other computer network.
An apparatus consistent with the present invention converts message format. The apparatus receives an input message in a variable field format and identifies data types for each field of the input message. The apparatus assembles an output message having multiple fields defined by a fixed format, and it maps data from the input message to specified fields in the output message based on the identified data types.
A method consistent with the present invention provides for computer-implemented message format conversion. The method receives an input message in a variable field format and identifies data types for each field of the input message. The method assembles an output message having multiple fields defined by a fixed format, and it maps data from the input message to specified fields in the output message based on the identified data types.
Another apparatus consistent with the present invention provides for load balancing of processing provided by multiplier server machines interfaced with a client machine servicing multiple customers. The apparatus assigns each of the customers to a set of the server machines and stores load levels of each of the server machines. The apparatus services the customers using the server machines to which they are assigned based upon the load levels. If the server machines to which they are assigned are unavailable, the apparatus services the customers using the server machines to which they are temporarily assigned during the unavailability.
Another method consistent with the present invention load balances processing provided by multiple server machines interfaced with a client machine servicing multiple customers. The method assigns each of the customers to a set of the server machines and stores load levels of each of the server machines. The method services the customers using the server machines to which they are assigned based upon the load levels. If the server machines to which they are assigned are unavailable, the method services the customers using the server machines to which they are temporarily assigned during the unavailability.